Panic (Bloodlands collection)

by Harold Schechter

In a widely syndicated article, Arthur T. Cremin, founder of the New York Schools of Music, declared that, through rigorous scientific experimentation, he had obtained definitive proof of the insidious effects of swing music, particularly on the young. Enlisting the aid of two adolescent volunteers, a boy and girl who had never met before, Cremin placed them “in a room where we could watch them without being observed.” A phonograph in the room “provided a program of good music, classical pieces and popular songs such as waltzes.” Enveloped in this uplifting atmosphere, the two youngsters “were friendly, but that was all.” Some days later, the same couple was brought back into the room. Instead of a phonograph, however, the room was now equipped with a radio tuned to a station playing swing music. The effect was striking. “They were much bolder,” said Cremin. “The boy took much more leeway in his actions, and the girl didn’t object.” Before long, they had shed all moral restraint. “They necked,” Cremin reported grimly.